May 05, 2017
No.061
Chairperson Jana Kiššová of the Slovakian National Council’s Economic Committee is leading a seven-member delegation to Taiwan from May 3 to 8 at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The purpose of the visit is to strengthen bilateral parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and Slovakia, and to provide the members of the delegation with a better understanding of Taiwan’s current political and economic developments. The delegation will also explore ways in which the two countries can enhance cooperation in such areas as economics, trade, science, technology, culture and education so as to boost substantial bilateral relations and create a win-win situation.
The delegation will call on Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan, Tainan City Mayor Lai Ching-te, Deputy Minister Kung Ming-hsin of the National Development Council and Deputy Minister Lin Cheng-yi of the Mainland Affairs Council, as well as call at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Southern Taiwan Science Park. In addition to attending a reception hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the delegation will also visit sites of cultural and economic interest such as the National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, Longshan Temple and Taroko National Park, and as well as a number of enterprises operating in the science and technology sector.
In addition to Chairperson Kiššová, the delegation comprises Richard Vašečka, chairman of the National Council’s Special Committee for the Control of Military Intelligence; and fellow parliamentarians Jan Budaj, Juraj Droba, Martin Klus, Jozef Rajtar and Eduard Heger.
Substantial relations have continued to flourish between Taiwan and Slovakia in recent years. The two countries have signed agreements on the avoidance of double taxation, e-government, youth working holidays, and science and technology-related cooperation, as well as implemented the mutual recognition of driver’s licenses. Taiwanese businesses have also invested some 3 billion euros in Slovakia to date, and bilateral trade is developing steadily. Based on this solid foundation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to promote substantial cooperation and exchange between the two countries across a range of fields going forward. (E)